Well, here we are. We’ve reached the point where Jacob is as old as TJ was when Jacob was born. It’s a very weird milestone for me mentally, since I remember thinking that TJ was such a big boy when I brought Jacob home, and now I’m really realizing that I had two babies. Since I shared our last current favorites, the boys’ interest have really evolved. TJ’s imagination has really taken off, and he’s really into building and creating things. Jacob’s fine motor skills are developing every day and he’s spending more time focused on activities and toys.
TJ – 3 years old; active, high energy, sensitive, loves reading, creating, and building things
- Magnatiles – we got TJ the Amazon version of this preschool-age staple for his birthday, and he is obsessed. The Picasso Tiles version we got are a fraction of the price, but the quality is still really good. There are lots of add-on kits, too!
- Kinetic Sand – another birthday present and another hit. TJ is a very hands-on and sensory-seeking kiddo, so this stuff keeps him entertained and engaged for longer than most other things. The construction trucks are an added bonus!
- Practice Scissors – these admittedly made me nervous. I knew they were safe and he wouldn’t get hurt, but I wasn’t sure TJ would be able to focus long enough at his age without getting frustrated. Turns out, he absolutely loves practicing cutting paper (holy paper shreds on the floor…) and it’s something he’s really proud that he’s able to do on his own.
- 3-letter word puzzles – these are still a bit ahead of his age, but TJ loves matching the pictures and practicing the letters and the sounds they make. This company also makes alphabet and numbers puzzles.
- Play Doh – I knew this day would come. I wasn’t ready, but here we are. As sensory-seeking as TJ is, that’s how much I dislike the smell, texture, and feel of Play Doh. But, I know it’s age-appropriate, good for his motor skills, and it’s so fun to watch him really use his imagination to build his little Play Doh creations
Jacob – 18 months; charismatic, independent, strong-willed, observant, loves learning new words and stacking/building
- Blocks – these are a tried and true toddler toy, but Jacob has really taken to stacking blocks over the past month of so. He’s pretty detail-focused for a toddler, and is able to spend more time on fine motor activities than TJ was at this age so it’s been fun to watch him learn and play with different kinds of blocks
- Puzzles – Jacob loves a task. When he works at something and achieves it, he gets so proud of himself and loves to show everyone what he’s done. Some of our favorite puzzles with bigger-sized pieces have been in his constant rotation lately
- Water Wow books – This child loves an art activity. He will go over to the art box a few times a day and ask for “paimp” (paint). I love the Melissa & Doug Water Wow books because they’re not messy and they’re reusable!
- Floor Piano – we used this a lot when Jacob was learning to walk and working on his balance, and it’s stuck around. He loves stomping on the keys and dancing along!
- Melissa & Doug balls – biiiiiiggggg sports guy. Jacob loves throwing, kicking, and rolling all kinds of balls, and he’s actually pretty naturally athletic. This is, however, a toddler tale as old as time of “great throw!” and then “no, don’t throw that!” two seconds later. These big personalized soft balls are great because they’re not the size of other objects that may innocently be turned into projectiles (I’m lookin’ at you, blocks).
Playing together – Not much has changed here. There are still moments when the boys are sharing, smiling, and having a mother’s dream of a time together, and then there are days when they just can’t seem to go 10 seconds without taking a toy out of each other’s hands. Our go-to shared toys are still providing lots of entertaining and lots of opportunities to work on sharing and taking turns:
I would love to hear what some of your kiddos’ current favorites are, too! You can shop all the links in this post through Like to Know It! Happy imaginative playing!
xo,
Stephanie
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